Boy Brings Gun to School for Protection

In the wake of the awful Sandy Hook school shooting, an 11-year-old sixth grader in Utah brought a .22 caliber handgun to school for protection, NBC News reports.

The boy, who attends the Granite School District outside of Salt Lake City, said he brought in the unloaded gun and ammunition to defend himself in case of a school shooting. There have been mixed reports about the child waving the gun on the playground and pointing it at a classmate, but those have not been confirmed. A teacher found out about the gun after two students reported it, and quickly secured the boy.

Police charged the boy with possession of a weapon on school property and aggravated assault. Although initial reports said the boy had been told by his parents to take the gun to school, those have been refuted and police say the boy's parents have been very cooperative. It's rumored he got the weapon from an extended family member who used to live with the family.